


We Were Once Brothers

by Lunarium



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Childhood Friends, Friends to Enemies, Galra Reverse Bang 2018, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-11 05:32:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15965726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarium/pseuds/Lunarium
Summary: Two young friends who dreamed of leaving their desolate home and living among the stars find themselves drifting apart in the worst possible way.





	We Were Once Brothers

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Galra Reverse Bang! Art is by the amazing [noogenesis](http://noogenesis.tumblr.com/)/[mr_terrible](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mr_terrible)! (Check out the art [here](http://noogenesis.tumblr.com/post/177987179685/a-battle-between-sendak-and-kolivan-the-art-that) to like and reblog and give it love!) It's been a great pleasure working with you! :)

_You’ve done it now_ , Kolivan thought. _You’re good as dead!_

He scoured past merchants and patrons, his feet pattering on the long winding wooden path, nearly slipping over a puddle, almost crashing into a fisherman dragging in a large net full of shelled jurns. 

He put as much distance as he could before he rounded a corner and hid behind large stacks of crates, hoping his tiny form would get lost among the imported goods. The ground rumbled underneath him, and he gripped tighter to the vials of his mother’s medicine—well, it wasn’t _her_ medicine, and that was the issue. Kolivan didn’t mean to steal. He knew it was bad. His mother taught him that it was bad, but he couldn’t lose her. But the Galra, his own people, had turned this district into a wasteland, making even the most basic needs difficult to obtain. A bit of bread, vials of medicine—he had to do the unthinkable and steal them when the kind merchant had turned his head. He hoped the merchant hadn’t seen his face. The shame was enough to make him give himself up. 

“Hey.” 

Gasping, Kolivan glanced every which way before finding who had spoken. He recognized the kid as another from his village. Sendak was his name. They had exchanged hellos and good mornings a couple times before, but not much more than that. 

Sendak was perched over some towers of crates, watching Kolivan like a hawk. 

“What you got there?” 

“Bread and medicine,” Kolivan said. “It’s for—um, she’s getting worse again.” 

Sendak nodded and didn’t ask for an elaboration. He hopped from the top of the crates, and the next thing Kolivan heard were a series of shouts, bodies slamming against crates and metal ships, crates getting blown like a game of hambowian, and someone yelling. “Ya’ quiznaking brat! If we catch you your head will be hanging by the edge of the pier as an example for all!” before getting the daylights knocked out of him.

Moments later Sendak reappeared, landing before Kolivan. Looking a bit roughed up but grinning, he grabbed Kolivan by the elbow and led him up and away. 

“Now if they go looking for anyone, they’ll go looking for me!” he said proudly. “They think it was me who stole the medicine and food. I mean, we _do_ look a little alike!” 

“Why would a thief come back and beat them up?” 

“Who cares for logic when some brat just showed up a whole bunch of merchants and guards?” Sendak laughed. “They don’t like that so now they all hate me! You’re safe, kid!” 

Kolivan’s ears flattened in humility at Sendak’s proud grin. _Why are you being this kind to me?_

* * *

He didn’t know what this place was called before his mother was born, but everyone today called it The Village of Dry Water. The Galra had occupied Nalquod shortly after the destruction of Daibazaal, though at first the occupation had not be harsh to the natives. Of all the neighboring planets, Nalquod was most suitable for life for Galra, and those who had come to this planet had adopted the Nalquodian cultures and customs. And the marriage between their ruler Blaytz and Razar, a Galra from the late Emperor Zarkon’s court, had softened early relations. Many more marriages between Galra and Nalquodians had taken place in the early years of immigration. Kolivan, and Sendak too, Kolivan suspected, were a third generation of such unions. 

But no place was a utopia. The Village of Dry Water had gotten its name for being a place of no opportunity, no future, and no hope. Nalquod was a watery planet throughout, and the Village was still surrounded by bodies of water, but the peoples were severely underserved, and some of the rivers became more polluted over time. 

After they passed the last major intersection, Kolivan led the rest of the way home. The rest of the village was just a stretch of dried waterless land, the ground dry, leafless, and infertile, and the salty smell of the sea far away. Sendak grew quiet, studying the items in Kolivan’s arms. 

“Who are they for again?” Sendak asked after a while. “You didn’t tell me.” 

Kolivan frowned. “My mom.” 

He pointed towards a small hut patched up with rags and led him inside. His mother was propped up on several pillows to keep her head elevated. The doctor had said it would help with her breathing, although each breath came as though a wind blew the flaps of their tent-house. 

Sendak sat on an upturned bucket as Kolivan sat beside her, showing her the couple items he had stolen. This went on for only a few moments before he jumped to his feet, shaking his head and muttering angrily to himself. 

“She needs more than this.” 

And he stormed out before Kolivan could say another word. 

Sendak appeared again in the evening laden with many more vials of medications and entire bags of groceries. Kolivan’s jaws were on the ground the moment he saw them. 

“Did you… _steal these_?” he whispered. 

Sendak’s reply came in the manner of a cheeky wink before he whisked Kolivan off to the kitchen, which was just an old rusting stove on the other side of the hut. They chopped up some roots and some of the sea creatures before throwing them bones and all—“Keep the bones,” Sendak had instructed. “They’re edible and they’ll make her strong.”—into the pot. 

While the stew simmered over the flame, they administered the medicines, and after the stew was done, Sendak stayed around for clean up. 

Afterwards Kolivan thanked him with a big hug. 

“Mom’s sleeping,” he said. “She never looked better! Thank you so much, Sendak!” 

“It was nothing,” Sendak said, smiling. “Those foods and medicine were better here than there. They have plenty around. They’re not going out of business.” 

“But you probably can’t show your face ever again.” 

Sendak snorted. “Who said I showed my face this time? I have many talents, Kolivan.” 

Kolivan laughed. He glanced up at the sky, smiling sadly at the faint remnants of their ancestral planet that they could still just barely see in the night sky. 

“Why are you so nice to me?” he asked. 

Sendak shrugged. “Because it’s nice having a friend? I could be an asshole to you tomorrow if you want.” 

He was jesting, and the two laughed again. To show affection, Sendak nuzzled his face against Kolivan’s, then bit his ear. 

“We’re brothers now.” 

Kolivan smiled. They looked so much alike, and Sendak liked him. They _could_ be like brothers.

* * *

Kolivan’s mother grew stronger every day, thanks to Sendak’s meddling. He regularly snuck in food and medicine, and once, when they were worried about a bad patch she was going through, had somehow procured enough coins to pay a doctor to take a look at her. 

_Mom’s alive because of you_ , Kolivan thought while studying Sendak in admiration and fear. Where was he getting the money? Didn’t he know stealing all the time was bad? 

And what about Sendak’s own family? 

Sendak never spoke about his own mother or father, nor about any siblings or about any other relatives. Kolivan began to suspect Sendak didn’t have a home to go to, or he had a bad relationship with his family and instead had made a home for himself in Kolivan’s. 

But Kolivan didn’t mind. As much as he felt guilty for the amount of goods his house was filled without paying for it, he had to admit it did everyone a lot of good. His mother was able to get back on her feet. And he had found a friend in Sendak. 

They often watched the stars every evening and fantasized about growing up to become great Galra commanders. They would no longer have to live in Nalquod. If they were strong enough, they could be stationed at the central Galra fleet. For this reason they began to train, hoping to enlist at the next recruitment. They came in frequent sessions, though at the time Kolivan didn’t know why. The Village of Dry Water did not receive news as quickly as other cities. Technology was eons behind others, poor as the peoples were. For this, very little of the citizens knew of the massacres happening outside of the village. They knew of Daibazaal being destroyed—that was the whole reason why a mass number of Galra had immigrated to Nalquod. A number of Galra had immigrated to the other neighboring planets of Altea, Rygnirath, and the Dalterion Belt. But news of Emperor Zarkon’s return from the dead still had not reached them. There had been rumors, but by the time it had reached their doors it had undergone wild transformations and became the sort of campfire tales meant to keep the young wide awake with fear. 

There were always Galra fleets in outer space. Their kind always had a number in space and a number residing on land. But the raging war didn’t reach their village. The destruction of Altea didn’t come until much later. By then Kolivan was far into his adulthood. By then his mother had been buried, having lived out her life to the end. 

Kolivan remained impervious to the truth outside of the Village until one night when a Nalquodian had been spotted running into the Village. He had come from the thick wall of trees that marked the borders from the rest of the world. A few moments later, a Galra sentry appeared, followed by a guard. There was a command none heard, and the Nalquodian was struck dead in the middle of the street. 

Kolivan and Sendak were well in their adolescence then. In a few more turns of the moon they would officially become men. But they were considered young among the Galra and the Nalquodian when they saw the man rush in and murdered on the spot.

“Why do you suppose he was killed?” Kolivan asked. 

Sendak shrugged. “The Galra kill when it is right. He must have wronged them in some way.” 

When he was out of earshot, a friend slipped closer to Kolivan. She too had been training to be drafted, although Kolivan knew the Galra would never take her simply for being one of the Nalquodian. But she had hopes of being drafted, even in the Nalquodian army, so she may make enough money to support her family. 

“I don’t think that Nalquodian did any wrong,” Nelvar said. “I’ve been hearing more rumors like this. Emperor Zarkon _did_ come back from the dead. It’s not just a spooks’ tale, see? Something afoul is going on up there among them stars and we’re not seeing it.”

Kolivan shot a look towards Sendak then turned back to Nelvar. “That’s…I…I don’t know what to say.” 

She nodded. “I didn’t believe it at first, the more I heard the more it makes sense. What I’m hearing by the docks is that when Emperor Zarkon reemerged from his tombs, he was enraged to learn that King Alfor ordered for the destruction of your ancestral planet.” 

“But he was doing it for the greater good!” Kolivan said. “Wasn’t there some sort of tear that threatened to destroy the entire universe?” 

“There was, and yes, King Alfor was acting in your people's’ best interests, but your emperor still wanted that tear for some reason. He’s been waging war on the other planets. He’s been fighting his own former paladins. It hasn’t hit us yet. We’re just small fry in his eyes, but it’ll come. Oh, it’ll come!” 

Kolivan swallowed thickly and glanced back towards Sendak. 

“Does Sendak know?” 

“I’m sure. That kid knows the streets inside and out. But if you ask me, I don’t think he cares. What ties does he have here? No family that I’ve ever seen. Always scuttling around here like a rat. If he could kiss the emperor’s feet and swear undying allegiance, he would, even if it means the death of the other planets.” 

Kolivan shuddered. He couldn’t imagine that from Sendak—not from a friend he considered his brother—but the somber look from Nelvar told him otherwise.

* * *

Kolivan and Sendak were recruited on the same fleet, and Nelvar had eventually gone on to the Nalquodian army as she had hoped. Kolivan bid her farewell, although he feared the next time he would see her would be on order to shoot her down. 

He kept her words in the back of his mind as he rose up in ranks, keeping himself in close proximity to Sendak. His friend, finding himself among Galra more like himself, had become more ruthless than Kolivan had ever seen him. He spoke of himself being of pure Galra blood, which irked Kolivan, thinking of his own mother. Thinking of himself. Many times his own anger nearly caused him to blurt out that Sendak himself had been born on Nalquod and very likely part-Nalquodian himself. 

But wisdom taught Kolivan to keep his mouth shut. He didn’t actually know Sendak’s lineage. He could only guess it, but he couldn’t prove it. The man had the same temporal ridges that were the main characteristics of Nalquodian skulls, but Sendak’s ridges were covered in fur, obscuring his heritage. Kolivan’s own features weren’t as easy to hide. He was a third generation of Galra-Nalquodian intermarriage. His mother had clear Nalquodian features. Had Sendak secretly despised her all this time? 

_He couldn’t have_ , Kolivan thought. _Why would he have been so kind to her all this time? Gotten her a doctor when she got really sick? Been my friend all of these years?_

Sendak wasn’t the only matter that disturbed Kolivan. All the rumors were true. Everything Nelvar had told him was right. Emperor Zarkon lived, and he was nothing like the leader Kolivan had grown up hearing stories about. It sickened him to swear alliance to him, to utter, “Vrepit Sa,” like a mantra and be expected to believe in it. 

He never got to see Nelvar again, although he had hoped he would have gone back to Nalquod one more time to warn her of the imminent attack of the Galra fleets against the planet. It would have been treason, but he owed her one. She had kept an eye on his mother the whole time he was gone, and she had appointed herself as a sort of caretaker, leaving behind goods and whatever else she needed. She was the one to notify Kolivan when his aging mother had passed away. 

But Kolivan couldn’t repay her friendship, and watched, helpless, among the Galra army as their fleets fired ion cannons and destroyed the planet until all of its waters had dried. Reports had poured in that Blaytz had been taken out; he had been battling Zarkon and hiding in the Dalterion Belt. As a final blow to mark the end of the Nalquodian leader, an ion cannon took out the rest of the planet. Kolivan watched his home planet burn, thinking of Nelvar still in there, thinking of his mother in her grave, swallowed by the inferno. 

“This was our home,” Kolivan said to Sendak, watching for any remorse or sorrow. 

But Sendak only smiled. “A small price to pay for the great of the universe.” 

“You think this will help bring peace to the universe?” 

“It will help bring the Galra to greatness!” Sendak stood up and brushed past him, pushing him aside. “The Galra have no time for weakness. Victory or death!”

* * *

Kolivan feigned his own death just to break away from the Galra Empire. While on a mission alone, he had made certain to destroy all the sentries with him and then his own ship, then took to traveling by himself on foot. It was near impossible to get anyone to trust him. Finally, a monk took him in, preaching about giving anyone a second chance, and Kolivan remained in a hidden temple for a millennium as he gathered intel. 

Nelvar’s own words kept Kolivan on his feet. No longer would he be content to remain as the young boy from the Village of Dry Water, cut off from the rest of the world and with barely any information or insight to the rest of the universe. He learned all he could of other peoples, other cultures, other worlds, other politics, the rich and complex history of his own people and of Emperor Zarkon himself and his regime. 

As Sendak rose higher and higher in power, Kolivan moved at a slower pace, but ever gaining a different sort of power, as he muttered a mantra of his own: “Knowledge or death.”

* * *

Krolia was the one to zero in on which fleet was Sendak’s main command. Kolivan’s stomach turned. He had listened to Krolia recount of her time on Earth, but he never imagined he would travel this far in the universe, and especially not for this purpose. 

The Paladins, with help from the Atlas, had disbanded the Zaiforge cannons, and they were deep in battle with the rest of the Galra fleet by the time Kolivan and Krolia slipped inside Sendak’s ship. Krolia took out the other Galra in seconds flat, leaving only Sendak standing. He regarded them with a cold glare, and Kolivan was prepared to send Krolia back to their cruiser if the man was planning on blowing the fleet with them in it. He had lost too many men, and he wasn’t going to lose Krolia.

“It has been a long time, dear friend,” Sendak said. “I’ve begun to miss you.” 

Kolivan stepped onto the dais, glaring right at him. 

“You’ve survived being jettisoned into space,” Kolivan commented. “I shouldn’t have been surprised when I had heard the story. You always had your tricks.” 

“And you too are a survivor,” Kolivan said. “Although, too bad you cannot say the same for the rest of the Blades.” 

Kolivan narrowed his eyes. “Leave Earth, Sendak. They were never part of this.” 

“Oh? And what do you call the Paladins?” 

“You turn your revenge on an entire planet because of a handful of aliens who had troubled you for one day in your life?” Kolivan said. “Pathetic.” 

He activated his blade and threw it in front of him just in time; Sendak charged at him with a growl, his bionic hand shooting out and aimed for his chest; the blade pushed against the claws. The battle was brief yet terrible, as Kolivan tried to ignore the bright red blasts coming outside the windows. He needed to end this fast; the Paladins, Atlas, and all of Earth depended on him. 

He swung his blade, but Sendak swung his arm back, avoiding a hit. Laughing coldly, he struck Kolivan hard in the back, hard enough to knock all wind out of him, before the arm swung back to the shoulder point. He then raised his bionic arm to strike Kolivan for the final time when suddenly his arm froze in mid air. 

“What?” Sendak glanced up, confused. 

Kolivan smiled, smiling towards Krolia. She held on to a device that was interfering with Sendak’s arm mechanism. 

Sendak growled. “I can still kill you without this hand!” 

He lunged at him, but Kolivan was quicker. He charged forward, blade pointing straight for his neck. He pierced him through half his neck and closed his eyes as Sendak’s cries were cut off, gargling, as blood rose up in his throat. 

He didn’t open his eyes again until he felt Sendak’s body drop to the ground next to his feet. 

Then walking to the comms station, he sent a message to the other Galra fleets, the Atlas, and to the Paladins of Voltron.

* * *

He was once a boy from the Village of Dry Water who had a friend, and together they dreamt of leaving their desolate home for a place among the stars. Now Kolivan sat on a throne, wearing the crown that announced him as the new Galra Emperor, but he wore no smile as he addressed his people. 

Sendak was meant to sit here. 

“I’ve taken up this title to repay an old friend,” he confided to Krolia and Keith when they asked. “We were once like brothers, and I will honor him as I have remembered him.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hambowian - an intergalactic game similar to Earth’s bowling.


End file.
